Sport Fishing Institute of BC July 2013 Update

Posted on July 9th 2013, by Sport Fishing Institute of BC

Fishing is Good!

The dog days of summer are here and most people in the sport fishing industry are out doing what they love, fishing. And, while we're mostly focused on fish stories from up and down the coast, there are a few items that we thought we should pass along.

Save the Date - Big Splash and Policy Conference - December 5th, 2013

Although it's still a long way off, we thought we'd take this opportunity to remind you to save the date for this December's Big Splash Gala Fundraiser and Annual Industry Policy Conference. The events will be held on December 5th, 2013 at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond and as always, we look forward to a great turnout. While it may seem a bit early to send this reminder summer sun quickly runs into Labour Day and then we all lose track of time in the post-season chaos. So please save the date, and we look forward to seeing you at the River Rock Casino Resort.

Boccaccio Awareness

Second, we'd like to pass along some information regarding DFO's Boccaccio Awareness Program as part of its effort to help protect this unique rockfish species. While most recreational anglers' encounters with Boccaccio are as by-catch when fishing for yellow-eyes or lingcod, they do occur and DFO would like anglers to make note of their encounters, including size and locations and share this information through creel surveys, online surveys or log book programs.

Pacific Salmon Commission Funding made available

We recently ran across an interesting story from the CKNW in Vancouver that the Pacific Salmon Commission has earmarked $4 million for projects aimed at assessing Pacific salmon stocks and improving salmon habitat. It's not a huge amount of money, particularly when one considers the considerable funds and the countless hours that recreational anglers pour into salmon conservation, but it is nonetheless good news and every little bit helps.

We appreciate you taking the time to stay in touch and we'll do our best to keep you up to date on issues facing the sport fishing industry as the summer progresses. In the meantime, we hope the weather and the fish treat you well.